For the first time, the SNCF is on the verge of losing a TER line in France, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, led by the right, having proposed, Tuesday, September 7, to its elected officials to choose Transdev for operate the Marseille-Nice link. If the regional elected officials confirm this choice on October 29, it would be the first railway line escaping the SNCF in the context of the competition.
“SNCF Voyageurs wishes Transdev every success, in the interests of travelers and the development of rail transport in the region”, reacted the SNCF in a press release, thus recording the loss of the market.
“This choice marks (…) the realization of the opening up to competition for which we have been preparing for a long time, where our organizing authorities are free to choose operators other than us”, says Christophe Fanichet, CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, quoted in the press release.
A second batch kept by SNCF
Three companies were in the running to win this link via Toulon, which concerns 10% of regional traffic in terms of the number of trains offered: the historic public operator SNCF, the private French transport group Transdev and Thello, a subsidiary of the public company of the paths of Italian iron Trenitalia.
The ten-year concession contract is estimated at 870 million euros. With Transdev’s offer, “From 2025, traffic will be doubled” going from seven daily round trips to fourteen, depending on the Region, for “An equivalent price”. Result of the merger in 2011 of Transdev and Veolia Transport, Transdev transports 11 million passengers daily via its various modes of transport (buses, coaches, trains).
The Region has also proposed that the SNCF keep the operation of the lines “Azure” including the links between Les Arcs / Draguignan and Vintimille (Italy), as well as Nice-Tende and finally Cannes-Grasse where the public company was the only one in the running. This second lot represents 23% of regional traffic and the contract, also for ten years, is estimated at 1.5 billion euros. From 69 daily round trips, the offer will jump to 120, says the Region. Operation should begin in December 2024 for this second batch and in July 2025 for Marseille-Toulon-Nice, time to buy trains and build workshops.
Opening up to competition “Will significantly improve the offer for users”, welcomed the Region led by Renaud Muselier (Les Républicains, LR). “We are going to have prizes “canonissimes” offered by public or private operators, French or foreign, who will respond to these calls for tenders ”, he was enthusiastic in December 2019 when the opening to competition was launched. “We will have the trains on time, we will have discounts, with a quality of service! “, he promised.
Four other regions are thinking about it
“This is historic in the railway world, it is the first time that a lot of this importance would be granted to an operator other than the SNCF”, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) Philippe Tabarot, LR senator of the Alpes-Maritimes and former vice-president in charge of transport in the Paca region, who managed this file until the last regional elections in June .
“We are not surprised because it shows the region’s desire to give competition to the most profitable markets”, reacted Jean-Marie Valencia, communication manager for CGT Cheminots Paca, also qualifying “Historical” this decision. “We are worried because it will not be without cost for the railway workers”, he alarmed.
“We are saddened by this decision because it will result in the transfer of 166 agents” from SNCF to Transdev, underlined for his part Didier Mathis, general secretary of Unsa railway, second union at SNCF. “This decision is not at all a surprise, because the Southern Region would have been bothered if it had selected SNCF twice in the two calls for tenders, while it said it was unhappy with the SNCF. The Region would have lost all credibility ”, he added.
Four other regions of France have also announced their desire to experiment with opening their TER to competition: Grand-Est, Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France and Pays-de-la- Loire.
England, one of the pioneers of the privatization of railway lines in the 1990s, announced in May a reform supposed to put an end to the many dysfunctions of the sector, in particular in terms of punctuality.